Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve had a few go-to chocolate chip cookie recipes, but none of then were truly reliable. When the pandemic gave me the opportunity to perfect a cookie recipe, I started with search Serious Eats, and settled on a “quick and easy” recipe that seemed to have good scientific foundations. I wanted a cookie that spreads well, maintains a rounded edge, stays chewy, and tastes great.
The note about the temperature of the margarine/butter is key! I stick a probe thermometer into my margarine until it reads 65°F before starting to mix anything.
Makes 24 3.5-inch cookies.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle
- Baking sheet with parchment paper
- Digital scale
- #24 disher
Ingredients
- 8 oz. chocolate chips
- 355g all-purpose flour
- 2 sticks (225g) unsalted Fleischmann’s Margarine or butter, soft but cool, 65°F (18°C)
- 205g white sugar (1 C)
- 225g light brown sugar (1 C, gently packed)
- 15g vanilla extract (1 Tbsp)
- 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 8g kosher salt (2 tsp. Diamond brand)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 large egg (50g), cold from the fridge
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C).
- Combine flour and chocolate chips, set aside.
- Combine butter, both sugars, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix on low to moisten, then increase to meadium and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- With mixer running, add egg and beat only until smooth.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour/chocolate mixture all at once. Mix to form a stiff dough.
- Portion with #24 disher onto parchment-lined baking sheet, 12 cookies per batch.
- Bake until puffed and pale gold around the edges, about 15 minutes. (For crunchy cookies, bake 3-5 minutes longer.)
- Cool directly on baking sheet until set, about 5 minutes. Enjoy warm, or move cookies to cooling rack.